BASA Member Update 5.23.19

Jamie Vollmer President, Jamie Vollmer Inc.

Six Steps to Greater Public Support

The term “engaging the community” appears thirty-one times in the Ohio Standards for Superintendents. ESSA, Title IV, Part A, directs administrators to “strengthen ties with the people of their communities.” Every district in the Buckeye State has a public engagement objective featured in its strategic plan. And every superintendent I know acknowledges the importance of the “community piece.” But in my experience, as the drama of the school year unfolds, pursuit of this goal takes a back seat to more pressing concerns. Execution falls to the communications director, if you are lucky enough to have one. Once upon a time, this was good enough - educators were respected, most folks had kids in school. Not anymore. Shifting demographics, rising expectations, and intense political scrutiny have changed the school/community dynamic. Society’s traditional mandate, “Teach our students,” has become, “Raise our kids!” And as you and your staff struggle to meet this challenge, media pundits, ideologue policymakers, anti-tax crusaders, and self-serving entrepreneurs work 24/7 to erode public trust in you and your schools. The time has come for everyone on staff – certified and classified – to help educate and engage the people of your community. You need all the support you can get. I have been talking about this at convocations and conferences in Ohio for thirty years. Two years ago, a superintendent asked if I would create a pro public education video series that he could use with his staff and community. I’d been asked before and always managed to politely decline. But for some reason – maybe Jupiter was aligned with Mars – he struck a nerve. I began organizing my thoughts the next day. And, as the series took shape, I began to see a path – a path that any superintendent could follow to energize his or her staff and engage the community at no cost. This path has six interdependent steps.

Step One – Promote Public Education and Praise Your Staff